Flying-machine.



HfifiER. v FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 10, 1M1.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

2 SHBBTBSHEET 1.

yiw4 064x24 L. H. DYBR.

FLYING MACHINE.

' I APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 10, 1911.

1 1 08,891 v Patented Sept. 1, 1914.,

2 SHEETS-$113611! 2,

pron.

LEONARD H. DYER, 0F GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed April 28, 1905, Serial No. 257,938. Divided and this application filed. February To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD H. DYER, a citizen of the United States, formerly residing in East Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, and now residing in the town of Greenwich, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improve ment in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This application for patent is a division of an application for patent filed by me April 28, 1905, Ser. No. 257938. In that parent application for patent, I disclose an apparatus which is adapted to be supported upon and travel upon a stable medium, which is specifically illustrated as either water, ice or land. That apparatus is adapted to be propelled along such stable supporting medium and to rise in flight from the same after it has attained a sufficient speed. That application also discloses refinements of the invention, in which the apparatus can travel partly supported upon the air and partly supported upon the stable foundation, whereby the operator may acquire experience, and during which time experiments may be made in various details of the supporting, balancing, steering and propelling mechanism.

This application for patent refers specifically to the apparatus which'is adapted to be supported and travel on water as the stable foundation.

In order to better understand my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying drawings, in Which-- Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a device, embodying my invention, adapted to be used on the water. Fig. 2 is a top view, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 1, showing the details of construction. Fig. 4 is a front view of the same and Fig. 5 is an enlarged section, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing the construction of the hull.

In all of the views, like parts are designated by the same reference characters.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a hull provided with a propelling engine 2, an aerial propeller 3 and aeroplanes 4 and 5. 6 is a rudder which is shown partially dipped into the water. Such a device when at rest will float in the Serial No. 607,768.

water in the position shown in Fig. 3. When propelled it will be supported by the hull 1 until by the action of the hydroplanes 7, the hull will be lifted out of the water and the device supported upon the surface thereof entirely by the lifting effect of the hydroplanes. If desired, experiments can now be made with the aeroplanes 4 and 5 until a sufficient lifting effect be secured to elevate the front end of the device, as shown in Fig. 1. Experiments can then be made with the aeroplanes 5 and by balancing the device so that a minimum amount of weight would bear upon the rearmost hydroplane 7. The rudder 6 can then be changed in shape as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 so that it will no longer engage with the supporting Water. The size and shape of the rudder and its controlling mechanism can then be determined to suit actual conditions.

In the practical embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, the hull l is very lightly made and is provided with a king-piece 29, arc-shaped, secured at its ends to the straight keel 30. Continuous frames 31 extend from the keel to the kingpiece and will be secured to the latter. The planking 32 is shown as extending only part way up the sides, merely a sufficient distance to be above the water line. Above this line, oiled silk or paper 33, or light material can be provided to keep out the spray. Braces 34 at intervals serve as supports for the hydroplanes 7, the latter being further secured to horizontal members 35. The aerolanes 4 and 5 as shown are supported upon the hull by suitable vertical and diagonal braces. As illustrated, the aeroplanes 4 preferably comprise a plurality of superposed planes, secured to the hull at a point nearer the front end than the rear end. They also preferably extend beyond the sides of the hull, as shown. The aeroplane 5 is located nearer the rear end of the hull than the front end, and also preferably extends beyond the sides thereof. The structure comprising the aeroplane 4 is of greater height than the structure comprising the aeroplane 5, as illustrated, so that the aeroplane 4 will have the greater lifting effect. The hull constitutes a rigid backbone for the entire structure, suitably positioning the two aeroplanes 4 and 5. The particular form of hydroplane 7 shown is merely for purposes of illustration. The hull, as illustrated in Fig. 5, has a portion thereof in its length, with a flat bottom.

This apparatus, as shown, when at rest will be supported in the water by means of the hull 1. It will be propelled by means of the engine 2 and. aerial propeller 3. \Vhcn a sullicient speed has been reached, the device will be elevated to the top of the water by means of the action of the hydroplanes 7. The aeroplanes 1 and 5 may be so adjusted that the device may travel with the front elevated, as shown in Fig. 1. When in this position, it can be used as a. means for instructingthe operator, and. it can be further used for conducting experiments upon the elfect of the propeller, the engine and the aeroplanes. The device mav be used in this condition, or if desired, it may entirely leave the water, and fly through the air. It may leave the water, the propeller 53 causing the device to travel suliieiently fast to lift it up by the lifting effect of the aeroplanes. The device may be brought to'rcst by descending, first so that the hydroplanes come in contact with the surface of the water, and it may then be brought further to rest until the hull 1 supports the device upon the water. The subject-matter of the present invention, therefore, is not. limited to devices for experimental work or instruction, but it can be applied to complete commercial flying machines. Such complete mechanism will be supported by the hull 1 in the water while at rest. The aerial propeller will advance the device to a speed suillcient to lift it to the surface of the water by means of the action of the hydroplanes 7. This will permita sulliciently high rate of speed to bc attained to cause the aeroplanes to lift the entire machine from the water into the air, and the machine will he then flown through the air in the manner of any other flying machine.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described. the principle of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I de sire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that the invention can be carried outin other 55 the hull to the surface thereof when travel-" ing at higher speeds, an aeroplane connected; to said hull and extending above and be; yond the sides thereof, and an aerial propeller, an. engine. and connections between the said propeller and engine for driving the former, a rudder, said rudder having a portion immersed when the hull is supported by the displacement of the Water, and means operatable from the hull for operating the said rudder.

2. A water borne self-propelled apparatus comprising a rigid hull, a plurality of superposed aeroplanes carried by said hull and located above said hull at a point nearer the front end thereof than the rear end, said planes extending beyond the sides of said hull, an aeroplane also carried by the hull and located nearer the rear end thereof than the front end and also extending beyond the sides of said hull, a rudder at the rear of the hull, an aerial-propeller and an engine operating said propeller.

3. A water borne selfpropelled apparatus comprising a rigid hull having a sharpened front end and a flat bottomed portion intermediate its ends, a plurality of superposed aeroplanes carried. by said hull and located above said hull at a point ncarer" the front end thereof than the rear end, said."

planes extending beyond the sides of said hull, an aeroplane also carried by the hull and located nearer the rear end thereof than the front end and also extending beyond the sides of said hull, a rudder at the rear of the hull. and an aerial-propeller located in front of the first referred to aeroplane, and an engine operating said propeller.

This specification signed and witnessed this sixth day of February, 1911.

LEONARD H. DYER. lVitnesses JonN L. LOTSCH, FRANK L.- Lo'rson. 

